In this video, Stacey Loeb, MD, MA, PhD (Hon) discusses exercise, diet, stress management and how they affect sexual health. Dr. Loeb gave a presentation entitled, “What can we actually tell our patients about lifestyle modifications and diet for sexual health?” At the 2024 North American Society of Sexual Medicine Fall Scientific Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is a professor in the Department of Urology and Population Health at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York.
Transcription:
What type of exercise is most effective for improving sexual stamina and endurance?
In fact, physical activity has been shown to be beneficial to the quality of sexual life for women and men, and there’s a lot of great data out there. What I really recommend is to be honest and follow the American Physical Activity Guidelines. The guidelines recommend at least two sessions per week of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. Resistance activities.
What specific nutrients and dietary patterns have been proven to positively impact sexual function? Are there any foods men should consider incorporating into their diets to support sexual health?
Interestingly, recent data shows that men who eat more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods have a lower risk of erectile dysfunction, even in prostate cancer patients who have undergone surgery or radiation therapy. There are actually a lot of them. , especially the nerves involved in erectile function. Even in these patients, erectile function scores improve when they eat more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods after treatment. So I think it’s actually great that we finally have more data on nutrition that we can recommend to our patients.
How does chronic stress affect sexual health, and what lifestyle modifications can help manage stress effectively? Relaxation is particularly beneficial for improving sexual function Do you have any techniques or mindfulness practices?
This is a very important question. And I think other pillars of lifestyle medicine, such as positive psychology and stress management, cannot be overstated in their importance when it comes to sexual health. It is very closely related to both physical health and mental health. And exactly what you’re saying. Practicing mindfulness is very important. There’s a great talk on SMSNA today by Dr. Piero Lazio about mindfulness and whether it’s part of mindfulness or meditation, but if you want to live each day more purposefully and mindfully. I am. It may be an active process. It may become a less active process. There are many great mindfulness meditation programs on YouTube. And I think these are useful for everyone, because everything must be in place for a satisfying sexual experience.
This transcript was generated by AI and edited by human editors for clarity.
